November 19, 2014 Julie Guy, Program Director Sojourner Truth Academy (727604) 3599 Emerson Street North Minneapolis, MN 55412 Dear Julie Guy,
Congratulations! Your program has achieved accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The administration, teaching staff, and families of Sojourner Truth Academy are all to be congratulated for earning the mark of quality represented by the NAEYC Accreditation system. On behalf of NAEYC, and specifically the NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation, I commend your program’s outstanding efforts in pursuing NAEYC Accreditation. Please note that this accreditation decision report is specific to the data collected during the NAEYC Site Visit only. If you have submitted a critical incident to NAEYC via the 72-hour notification form the outcome of the Scope and Severity Screen will be forthcoming under separate cover. This letter includes information about the term of your NAEYC Accreditation as well as information about publicizing your accredited status. Attached to this letter you will find the Accreditation Decision Report that includes a summary of scores for each of the ten NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and suggestions for ongoing improvement by topic area based on the data collected during the site visit for use in your annual report.
TERM OF NAEYC ACCREDITATION Your NAEYC Accreditation is granted on November 14, 2014 and is valid until December 01, 2019. (Anniversary Date) To maintain NAEYC Accreditation, your program is required to maintain compliance with the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria. Additionally all NAEYC Accredited programs are:
• •
• • •
Required to file an Annual Report and applicable fees on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th anniversary of the above Accreditation date; Required to report to the NAEYC Academy major programmatic changes within 30 days and event(s)/incident(s) related to potential required criteria violations within 72 hours (see www.naeyc.org/academy for more information regarding Self Report instructions and timeframes); Eligible to be randomly selected for an unannounced site visit; Required to respond to formal complaints and adhere to NAEYC’s Complaint Policies and Procedures; and Required to agree to additional verification by adhering to NAEYC’s Verification of Continued Compliance Policy.
Please, visit our website at http://www.naeyc.org/academy and your program record at http://program.naeyc.org for complete information and details on new policies, procedures and any announcements related to your NAEYC Accreditation.
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation PUBLICIZING NAEYC ACCREDITATION In order to properly display your NAEYC Accredited status, the following information will be mailed to you in the coming weeks. The sample news release and camera ready logo will be posted in your program record (http://program.naeyc.org) for continued access.
• • • • • • • •
NAEYC Accreditation Certificate for public display. “Maintaining NAEYC Accreditation” flyer. Sample news release, so that you can publicize your NAEYC Accreditation (http://program.naeyc.org) Flyers for parents, describing what NAEYC Accreditation means. Identifying ribbons for you and your staff members to attach to a name badge when you attend conferences or public meetings. Camera-ready NAEYC Academy logo, which may be used freely on any printed materials such as stationery or brochures (http://program.naeyc.org). Samples of our new “NAEYC Accreditation: The Right Choice for Kids” brochures in English. NAEYC Accreditation Decal.
Please be sure to carefully review this information and share it as relevant with your teaching staff, administration and families. We encourage you to regularly visit your program record at http://program.naeyc.org to keep your program information up-to-date and to stay current regarding new policies, procedures and updates that occur throughout the term of your NAEYC Accreditation. Thank you for making the commitment to pursue NAEYC Accreditation. Working together, we can improve the lives of children and families across the nation by building public recognition and support for NAEYC Accreditation, the mark of quality in early childhood education. Now that you have achieved this mark of quality we look forward to continuing to work with you throughout your accreditation term in a process of continuous improvement, the hallmark of any accreditation system. If you have any questions about this report, please contact us at 800-424-2460, select Option 3, followed by Option 1. You may also e-mail us at
[email protected].
Sincerely, NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation cc: Jennifer Mitchell (via e-mail)
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation NAEYC ACCREDITATION DECISION REPORT Format of the Report Summary: This table shows your program’s scores* for 1) each of the ten Program Standards, 2) each group observed during the site visit, 3) all required criteria, and 4) all Candidacy requirements. It also includes brief feedback on your Program Portfolio and Classroom Portfolio(s). To achieve NAEYC Accreditation, a program MUST:
• • • •
meet all Required Criteria; and meet at least 80% of assessed criteria for each program standard; and meet at least 70% of assessed criteria for each classroom/group observed; and continue to meet Candidacy requirements or be subject to further verification.
Commendations: This section contains Program Standards which received a score of 100%. Areas For Ongoing Improvement By Program Standard: This section contains the Program Standards which met or exceeded the NAEYC Accreditation threshold of 80%. These contain topic areas for ongoing improvement.
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation
Summary Percentage of Met Criteria By Program Standard
Percentage of Met Criteria For Each Classroom Observed
1.
Relationships
100%
2.
Curriculum
3.
Teaching
4.
Assessment
100%
5.
Health
100+*
6.
Teachers
83%*
7.
Families
100%*
8.
Community Relationships
100+*
9.
Physical Environment
10.
Leadership and Management
83%
Kindergarten 3
94%
Preschool
96%
89%
90% 87%*
Summary of Required Criteria
Candidacy Requirements
1.B.09
PASS
Administrator Qualifications
MET
3.C.04
PASS
Assistant Teacher Qualifications
MET
5.A.03
PASS
Collaboration
MET
10.A.02
PASS
License/License Exempt Status
MET
10.B.04
PASS
Teacher Qualifications
MET
* Score includes credit given for meeting Emerging Criteria. Please note that even if your program scored 100% or better on a particular Program Standard, there still may be topic areas reported for ongoing improvements. This can occur because Emerging Criteria are given extra credit when scoring. Therefore, there could be unmet criteria in a particular topic area although the credit given for meeting the emerging criteria raised the Program Standard score to 100% or more
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation Summary Continued Program Portfolio Feedback The NAEYC Academy notes that your Program Portfolio adequately documents how the program’s policies and procedures meet most of the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria assessed. However, it is recommended that your program further develop this source of evidence with additional documentation that is clearly described, labeled, and organized.
Classroom Portfolio(s) Feedback The NAEYC Academy notes that your Classroom Portfolio (s) offers adequate evidence for most of the NAEYC Accreditation Criteria assessed. However, it is recommended that your program further develop this source of evidence with additional documentation that is clearly described, labeled, and organized.
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation COMMENDATIONS 1. Relationships The NAEYC Academy commends your program for promoting positive relationships among all children and adults to encourage each child’s sense of individual worth and belonging as part of a community and to foster each child’s ability to contribute as a responsible community member.
4. Assessment The NAEYC Academy commends your program for using ongoing, systematic, formal and informal assessment approaches to provide information on children’s learning and development. These assessments occur within the context of reciprocal communications with families and with sensitivity to the cultural contexts in which children develop. Assessment results are used to benefit children by informing sound decisions about children, teaching, and program improvement.
5. Health The NAEYC Academy commends your program for promoting the nutrition and health of children and protecting children and staff from illness and injury.
7. Families The NAEYC Academy commends your program for the high level of compliance with this component. Recognizing the importance of a reciprocal relationship between families and programs is essential to ensure that programs are meeting the needs of the children and families that the program serves.
8. Community Relationships The NAEYC Academy commends your program for effectively establishing and maintaining reciprocal relationships with agencies and institutions that can support it in achieving its goals for the curriculum, health promotion, children’s transitions, inclusion, and diversity.
AREAS FOR ONGOING IMPROVEMENT BY PROGRAM STANDARD 2. Curriculum The NAEYC Academy commends your program for implementing a curriculum that is consistent with its goals for children and promotes learning and development in each of the following areas: social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive. A curriculum that draws on research assists teachers in identifying important concepts and skills as well as effective methods for fostering children’s learning and development. When informed by teachers’ knowledge of individual children, a well-articulated curriculum guides teachers so they can plan learning experiences that foster children’s growth across a broad range of developmental and content areas. A curriculum also helps ensure that the teacher is intentional in planning a daily schedule that (a) maximizes children’s acquisition of desired knowledge and skills through the effective use of time and materials and (b) offers opportunities for children to learn through play and structured activities individually and in groups according to their developmental needs and interests.
Topic areas for ongoing improvement: 2.J
Curriculum Content Area for Cognitive Development: Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts
2.K
Curriculum Content Area for Cognitive Development: Health and Safety
2.L
Curriculum Content Area for Cognitive Development: Social Studies
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation
3. Teaching The Academy commends your program for using developmentally, culturally and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching approaches that enhance each child’s learning and development in the context of the program’s curriculum goals. Teaching staff who purposefully use multiple instructional approaches optimize children’s opportunities for learning. These approaches include strategies that range from structured to unstructured and from adult-directed to childdirected. Children bring to learning environments different backgrounds, interests, experiences, learning styles, needs and capacities. Teachers’ consideration of these differences when selecting and implementing instructional approaches helps all children succeed. Instructional approaches also differ in their effectiveness for teaching different elements of curriculum and learning. For a program to address the complexity inherent in any teaching-learning situation, it must use a variety of effective instructional approaches. Whether one teacher works alone or whether a team works together, the instructional approach creates a teaching environment that supports children’s positive learning and development across all areas.
Topic areas for ongoing improvement: 3.B
Creating Caring Communities for Learning
3.C
Supervising Children
6. Teachers The NAEYC Academy commends your program for employing and supporting a teaching staff that has the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children’s learning and development and to support families’ diverse needs and interests. The NAEYC Academy commends your teachers and assistants who fully meet the criteria related to educational qualifications (6.A.04 and 6A.05) For those staff members who do not now fully meet the criteria, please encourage and provide support for staff to pursue ongoing training and education in the field of early childhood education and/or child development. Children benefit most when their teachers have high levels of formal education and specialized early childhood professional preparation. Opportunities for teaching staff to receive supportive supervision and to participate in ongoing professional development ensure that their knowledge and skills reflect the profession's ever-changing knowledge base.
Topic areas for ongoing improvement: 6.A
Preparation, Knowledge, and Skills of Teaching Staff
6.B
Teachers’ Dispositions and Professional Commitment
9. Physical Environment The NAEYC Academy commends your program for creating an environment, both indoors and outdoors that fosters the growth and development of the children. The program’s design and maintenance of its physical environment support high-quality program activities and services as well as allow for optimal use and operation. Well-organized, equipped, and maintained environments support program quality by fostering the learning, comfort, health, and safety of those who use the program. Program quality is enhanced by also creating a welcoming and accessible setting for children, families, and staff.
Topic areas for ongoing improvement: 9.B
Outdoor Environmental Design
9.C
Building and Physical Design Page 7 of 8
Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Program Accreditation
10. Leadership and Management The NAEYC Academy commends your program for administering a program efficiently and effectively, ensuring that all staff, children, and families are included. The way in which a program is administered will affect all of the interactions within the program. Excellent programming requires effective governance structures, competent and knowledgeable leadership, as well as comprehensive and well-functioning administrative policies, procedures, and systems. Effective administration includes good communication among all involved persons, positive community relations, fiscal stability, and attention to the needs and working conditions of staff members. The program should be efficiently and effectively administered with attention to the needs and desires of children, families, and staff.
Topic areas for ongoing improvement: 10.B
Management Policies and Procedures
10.E
Personnel Policies
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Sojourner Truth Academy (727604)
NAEYC Accreditation: The Mark of Quality
